Siphoning device



H- TEPH ENS SIPHONING DEVICE Nbv. 11, I952 Filed June 8, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 lNvENToR H. STEPHENS SIPHONING DEVICE Nov. 11, 1952 Filed June 8, 1946 INVENTOR Patented Nov. 11, 1952 UNITED STATES ATENT oF F -icE SIPHONING DEVICE Hugh Stephens, East Kildona'n, Manitoba, Canada Application June 8, 1946, Serial No. 675,46i

. 4 Claims. l One of the arduous asks confronting the housewife today is that ofemptying tubs and such like containers on washdays. Faced with this problem she proceeds to bale out the water with a dipper or similar object until the volume of water is reduced to the point where the tub can be handled bodily.

H -This applies with equal emphasis to the handling of all liquids including "acids in quantity in factories, etci, where the corroding effect of acids on metalsin many'cases obviates the use of drain pipe fittings with tanks.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple labor saving device, designed to simplify the task of emptying-liquids from a container normally too heavy and cumbersome to be handled physically.

A second object of my invention is to provide a siphoning device by which with a minimum of effort andinconve'niencaa siphon flow of liquid will be induced and once induced, maintained until the container is drained.

Another object of my invention is to provide a siphoning 'devicewhich is designed to maintain a partial vacuumwamn the siphoning vessel in order that it shall adhere to the floor of the containe while in operation.

v A f urthei'object of 'myin'vention is 'to include the use of a common faucet connection in order that the devicemay be used-for fillinga container with liquid.

An additional object of my invention is -to provide a siphoning device which can be molded, coupled with standard components and fittings and thus be relatively cheap to. manufacture.

With the above important and other minor objects in view which will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists essentially in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more particularly deed reference being had to theaccornpanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a partial vertical section through I awash tub, showing the invention in operating position and "in vertical section. p s e s Figure 2 is an enlarged inverted plan view of the suction cup.

Figure 3 'is an enlargedvertical section of the [suction cup showing the flap intake valve.

Figure "4 is a partial vertical section through a Wash tub, showing an alternative embodiment of the invention in. operating position and in vertical section. v

Figure '5 is an ienlarge'd inverted plan view of h u ti up th a terna ive easement.

Figure '6 is an enlarged inverted isometrical View of the valve detail of the alternative embodiment.

In the'drawi'ng, like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

A metal wash tub or tank lvis generally indicated in Figure 1 partially filled withliquid such as water 2. The invention consists of a conduit 3 connected to a vessel 1 of variable interior capacity, which is positioned'on the floor of the said tank. This, vessel 4 consists of a hollow, relatively hemispherical casing, 'formed of rubher or similar material and of a shape resembling the well known plumbers force cup and which eanbe collapsed in the same manner. For simplicity this vessel will hereinafter be referred to as a suction cup ,or priming cup.

Th'eupper portion of the suction cup 4 is providedfwith a nub or boss '5 with an opening therethrough to receive the end of a conduit or tubing 3 rigid or flexible, to which it is fastened as by cementing or vulcanizing. e

The lip 6 of the suction cup 3 is provided with a flared flange 7 extending inwardly and downwardlyfover the entire circumference for the purpose of preventing the expulsionof liquid past the lip 6 when external pressure is applied lathe uc ion wPJ-V To control the flow [of liguid a one wayflap valve lS blOVld ed by means o'f a recta gular opening 8 in the wallet the suction orpriming cup 4 covered on the inside by a rectangular sheet 9 of the same material as the suction, cup 4 and with the upper edge of ,the'said sheet fastened to the inside fof the cup las by c ementing or vulcanizirig. This recta gular sheet 9 hinges'on said vulcanizing to form a flap over the opening "3 so that pressure from the outside will cause it to open and, pressure from the inside will cause it to shut tight. a

With the tub or tank partially filled with water as inFigure 1, the suction or priming cup 2 is placed on the floor of the tank with theft'ube or conduit '3 overhanging, the edge thereof and extending therebelow. External pressure is, then applied to the priming or su'c'tion'cup l'initially flattening the inner flared fla'n e '1 against the floor of the tank thus sealing off from the tank I the liquid within the cup "4. Additional pressure coua'p es the said cap forcing the liquid trapped within it to new through the tubing 3 thus priming the "signed, Then by releasing the pressure, the cup Meta-ms to its normal shape causing a partialvacuum therein. This reduction of pressure within the cup 4 coupled with hydraulic pressure from the fluid body surrounding the cup causes the one way valve 9 to open permitting a continuity of flow of the liquid from the tank I through the opening 8 until the said tank is drained.

It is possible for the siphon flow, once induced, to activate a sufficiently sensitive valve and thus perpetuate the flow without the necessity of the cup or vessel returning to its original shape.

In the case of the alternative embodiment, the form of the inlet valve opening 8 with its complementary valve 9 shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, is replaced by a number of grooves l3 in the face of the lip 6 of the cup 4, said grooves being covered by thin flap valves [4, hinged to the inside of said cup.

This alternative valve design which has the advantage of draining the tank to a lower level is shown in Figures 4 and 5 and enlarged and in greater detail in the inverted view in Figure 6 from which it will be seen that when viewed from the interior of the cup, the valves have the appearance of hollow buttresses 2| to the interior of the wall of the cup 4. These buttresses are formed by the front wall [4 and side walls [6.

The principle by which the alternative valve operates is the same as in the original design but differs in construction. Manufacturing technique requires that the buttress-like valve assemblies be moulded in one piece with the cup. When an incision 22 is made, as with a sharp knife, in both side walls iii of the buttress 2| at a point immediately behind the front wall l4, and running parallel to the inclination of the Wall, said front wall hinges to create a one-wa flap valve and wall opening. This incision extends beyond the roof of the groove (3 in order to give greater freedom for the valve to swing clear, thus making an unobstructed passage for the entrance of liquid into the cup 4 via the groove 13.

Extending grooves l3 beyond the inner side of the wall of the cup so as to form hollow buttresses performs the threefold object (one) of facilitating the incision operation, (two) of avoiding cutting the major flared flange 20 which would reduce its effectiveness and (three) since the wall of the cup is subject to a vertical load at the moment of valve opening, the slope of the wall permits the valve to swing without binding on the floor of the tank I.

The existence of a minor flared flange l5 at the bottom of the hinged wall or flap valve l4 serves the double purpose that When an increase of pressure develops within the cup 4 as a result of the collapsing action, the valve I4 is stiffened by the minor flared flange l5 against horizontal distention and is thereby prevented from protruding into the groove [3. At the same time this pressure bears down on the minor flared flange IE to seal it against the floor of the tank, thus preventing the escape of liquid at this point.

A faucet connection I2 is shown secured to the free end of the conduit or tubing 3 and I desire its use in association with my device for the purpose of filling a container with liquid.

In general design, in order to achieve the full priming action with one downward stroke, the normal volumetric displacement of the priming and suction cup 4 should exceed the interior volume of the tubing 3 from the surface level of the liquid in the tank I to a point remote from said tank and sufficiently below the surface level of the said tank to create a head.

A holddown suction force becomes evi ent cup 4 is less than the outlet ll.

ings.

Since the area of the outlet 1 l coupled with the head of water largely determines the extent of the flow, it will be seen that an increase in the holddown force caused by restricting the inlet opening 8 or the sum of the openings [3 is only obtained at the expense of the outflow.

It. is desirable and advisable therefore that the cross-sectional area of the outlet ll shall exceed that of the inlet openings 8 and [3 by only such.

margin as will assure the adherence of the suction cup 4 to the floor of the tank 1 throughout the whole of the drainage operation.

The need for a siphoning device to adhere to the floor of the tank i is not indispensable, but the omission of this factor in the design would cause cup 4 to float and in giving elevation to the valve would impair its eiflciency by only partially draining the said tank.

The two embodiments shown are illustrative of a means of priming for a siphon flow of liquid and the timely and continuing means of insuring the admission of fluid into the siphoning assembly. Such embodiments are amenable to many structural modifications without departing from the principle involved and I desire only such limitation as is placed upon them by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A siphoning assembly comprising in combination a flexibly deformable vessel having an open end, said open end having an annular flexible lip, said flexible lip so constructed as to be capable of sealably engaging a fluid submerged surface, a conduit connected to and communieating with the interior of said vessel, valved inlet means on said vessel preventing egress of fluid from said vessel into the surrounding fluid body but permitting flow in the reverse direction.

2. A siphon initiated solely by hydraulic action comprising in combination a flexibly deformable vessel open at one end and so constructed that said open end be capable of sealably engaging the bottom of a container from Which liquid is being siphoned, a conduit connected to and communicating with the interior of said vessel and a one way valve on said vessel automatically openable inwardly by a vacuum pressure diiferential as between the interior and exterior of said vessel.

3. A siphoning assembly comprising in combination a flexibly deformable vessel having an open end, said open end so constructed as to be capable of sealably engaging the bottom of a container from which fluid is being siphoned and valved inlet means on said vessel so arranged as to prevent egress of fluid from said vessel into the fluid body but permitting flow in the reverse direction, a conduit connected to and communicating with the interior of said vessel, the opening on said conduit being greater in cross-sectional area than the area of said inlet means.

4. A siphoning assembly retentive against a fluid submerged surface, comprising in combination a flexibly deformable vessel open at one end, said open end so constructed as to be capable of sealably engaging the bottom of a, container from which liquid is being siphoned, a conduit connected to and communicating with the interior of said vessel, a valved inlet means on said vessel permitting only ingress of fiuid therein, said valved inlet means being less in area than said conduit opening, thereby securing said vessel retentively to a fluid submerged surface durin the siphoning operation.

HUGH STEPHENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number I 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Smith Apr. 2'7, 1880 Lathe May 17, 1881 Franklin Aug. 15, 1893 Watts Dec. 19, 1911 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date England 1889 

